child seat VOLVO C70 2006 Owners Manual

2 0 0 6
VOLVO C70
Chapter 2 - Safety
pg. 9 Safety
Occupant safety 10
Seat belts11
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)14
Front airbags15
Occupant Weight Sensor - disabling the passenger's side front airbag18
Side impact protection (SIPS) airbags21
Door Mounted Inflatable Curtain (DMIC)22
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)23
Roll-over Protection system (ROPS)25
Collision status26
Inspecting SRS system components27
Child safety28
pg. 10 Safety
Occupant safety
Volvo's concern for safety
Safety is Volvo's cornerstone. Our concern dates back to 1927 when the first Volvo rolled off the production line.
Three-point seat belts (a Volvo invention), safety cages, and energy-absorbing impact zones were designed into Volvo
cars long before it was fashionable or required by government regulation.
We will not compromise our commitment to safety. We continue to seek out new safety features and to refine those
already in our cars. You can help. We would appreciate hearing your suggestions about improving automobile safety.
We also want to know if you ever have a safety concern with your car. Call us in the U.S. at: 1-800-458-1552 or in
Canada at: 1-800-663-8255.
Occupant safety reminders
How safely you drive doesn't depend on how old you are but rather on:
How well you see.
Your ability to concentrate.
How quickly you make decisions under stress to avoid an accident.
The following suggestions are intended to help you cope with the ever changing traffic environment.
Never drink and drive.
If you are taking any medication, consult your physician about its potential effects on your driving abilities.
ProCarManuals.com

Take a driver-retraining course.
Have your eyes checked regularly.
Keep your windshield and headlights clean.
Replace wiper blades when they start to leave streaks.
Take into account the traffic, road, and weather conditions, particularly with regard to stopping distance.
Reporting safety defects in the U.S.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Volvo Cars
of North America. If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become
involved in individual problems between you, your retailer, or Volvo Cars of North America.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
or write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington D.C. 20590. You can also obtain other
information about motor vehicle safety from the Hotline.
Volvo strongly recommends that if your vehicle is covered under a service campaign, safety or emission recall or
similar action, it should be completed as soon as possible. Please check with your local retailer or Volvo Cars of North
America, LLC if your vehicle is covered under these conditions.
NHTSA can be reached at:
Internet:
http://www.nhtsa.gov
Telephone:
1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
pg. 11 Safety
Seat belts
Using seat belts
Volvo, the inventor of the three-point seat belt, urges you and all occupants of your vehicle to wear seat belts and
ensure that children are properly restrained, using an infant, car, or booster seat determined by age, weight and height.
Volvo also believes no child should sit in the front seat of a vehicle.
Most states and provinces make it mandatory for occupants of a vehicle to use seat belts.
Seat belt tensioners
The front and rear seat belts are equipped with tensioners that reduce slack in the belts. These tensioners are triggered
in situations where the airbags deploy. The front seat belts also include a tension reducing device which, in the event
of a collision, limits the peak forces exerted by the seat belt on the occupant.
ProCarManuals.com

The seat back should not be tilted too far back. The shoulder belt must be taut in order to function properly.
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that children who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the seat belt properly fastened.
Seat belt use during pregnancy
The seat belt should always be worn during pregnancy. But it is crucial that it be worn in the correct way. The diagonal
section should wrap over the shoulder then be routed between the breasts and to the side of the belly. The lap section
should lay flat over the thighs and as low as possible under the belly. It must never be allowed to ride upward. Remove
all slack from the belt and insure that it fits close to the body without any twists.
As a pregnancy progresses, pregnant drivers should adjust their seats and steering wheel such that they can easily
maintain control of the vehicle as they drive (which means they must be able to easily operate the foot pedals and
steering wheel). Within this context, they should strive to position the seat with as large a distance as possible between
their belly and the steering wheel.
Child seats
Please refer to page 30
for information on securing child seats with the seat belts.
pg. 13 Safety
Seat belts
Seat belt reminder
The seat belt reminder consists of an audible signal, an indicator light above the rearview mirror, and a symbol in the
instrument panel (see page 35
) that alert the driver and front seat passenger if their seat belts are not fastened.
ProCarManuals.com

front airbags will not necessarily deploy.
Front airbags do not normally deploy in a side impact collision, in a collision from the rear or in a rollover situation.
The amount of damage to the bodywork does not reliably indicate if the airbags should have deployed or not.
NOTE:
Deployment of front airbags occurs only one time during an accident. In a collision where deployment occurs, the
airbags and seat belt tensioners activate. Some noise occurs and a small amount of powder is released. The release of
the powder may appear as smoke-like matter. This is a normal characteristic and does not indicate fire.
Volvo's dual-threshold, dual-stage front airbags use special sensors that are integrated with the front seat buckles.
The point at which the airbag deploys is determined by whether or not the seat belt is being used, as well as the
severity of the collision.
Collisions can occur where only one of the airbags deploys. If the impact is less severe, but severe enough to present
a clear injury risk, the dual-stage airbags are triggered at 70% of their total capacity. If the impact is more severe, the
dual-stage airbags are triggered at full capacity.
Should you have questions about any component in the SRS system, please contact a trained and qualified Volvo
service technician or Volvo Customer Support:
In the USA
Volvo Cars of North America
Customer Care Center
P.O. Box 914 Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914
1-800-458-1552
http://www.volvocars.us
In Canada
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255
http://www.volvocanada.com
WARNING!
Do not use child safety seats or child booster cushions/backrests in the front passenger's seat. We also recommend
that occupants under 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) in height who have outgrown these devices sit in the rear seat with the
seat belt fastened(a).
Never drive with the airbags deployed. The fact that they hang out can impair the steering of your vehicle. Other
safety systems can also be damaged.
The smoke and dust formed when the airbags are deployed can cause skin and eye irritation in the event of
prolonged exposure.
a. See also the Occupant Weight Sensor information on page 18
.
pg. 17 Safety
ProCarManuals.com

WARNING!
Children must never be allowed in the front passenger's seat. Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and
children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seated in the back seat of any vehicle with a passenger -side front
airbag. See page 30
for guidelines.
Occupants in the front passenger's seat must never sit on the edge of the seat, sit leaning toward the instrument
panel or otherwise sit out of position.
The occupant's back must be as upright as comfort allows and be against the seat back with the seat belt properly
fastened.
Feet must be on the floor, e.g., not on the dash, seat or out of the window.
ProCarManuals.com

WARNING!
No objects or accessory equipment, e.g. dashboard covers, may be placed on, attached to, or installed near the air
bag hatch (the area above the glove compartment) or the area affected by airbag deployment (see the illustration on
page 14
).
There should be no loose articles, e.g. coffee cups, on the floor, seat, or dashboard area.
Never try to open the airbag cover on the steering wheel or the passenger's side dashboard. This should only be
done by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants.
pg. 18 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor - disabling the passenger's side front airbag
Disabling the passenger's side front airbag
Volvo recommends that ALL occupants (adults and children) shorter than 4 feet 7 inches (140 cm) be seated in the
back seat of any vehicle with a front passenger side airbag, and be properly restrained for their size and weight. See
also the child safety recommendations on page 30
.
The passenger's side front airbag is automatically enabled/disabled by the Occupant Weight Sensor (OWS), a system
that monitors the weight of the person or object in the front passenger's seat. The system consists of a silicone-filled
bag located under the padding in the front passenger's seat cushion, a control module located under this seat, and a seat
belt tension sensor, located on the outboard side of the seat.
The OWS system continuously monitors the pressure on the front passenger's seat cushion and the tension applied to
the seat belt. Based on this data, OWS assesses the weight of the occupant or object in the front passenger's seat. This
information is transmitted to the SRS system control module, which enables or disables the passenger's side front
airbag accordingly, as indicated in the table on the following page.
If the system is functioning normally, the status of the front passenger's side airbag (enabled/disabled) will be shown
by the OWS indicator light as explained in the table on the following page. The OWS indicator light is separate and in
addition to the SRS warning light in the instrument panel.
NOTE: When the ignition is switched on, the OWS indicator light will go on for up to 10 seconds while the system
performs a self -diagnostic test. The light will then go out unless the seat is occupied by a low weight occupant/object.
However, if a fault is detected in the system:
The OWS indicator light will stay on
ProCarManuals.com

The SRS warning light (see page 14) will come on and stay on
The message PASS. AIRBAG OFF SERVICE URGENT will be displayed in the information display.
WARNING!
If a fault in the system is detected and indicated as explained on the preceding page, be aware that the passenger's
side front airbag will not deploy in the event of a collision. In this case, the SRS system and Occupant Weight
Sensor should be inspected by a trained and qualified Volvo service technician as soon as possible.
WARNING!
Never try to open, remove, or repair any components in the OWS system. This could result in system malfunction.
Maintenance or repairs should only be carried out by an a trained and qualified Volvo service technician.
The front passenger's seat should not be modified in any way. This could reduce pressure on the seat cushion,
which might interfere with the OWS system's function.
pg. 19 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor - disabling the passenger's side front airbag
a. Volvo recommends that children always be properly restrained in appropriate child restraints in the rear seats. In rare
situations when the seat belt is not latched, some child restraint systems may not be detected by the OWS because there
is very little weight on the vehicle seat cushion. In these cases the airbag may be turned off but the "passenger airbag
off" indicator would not be lit. DO NOT assume the front passenger airbag is turned off unless the indicator is lit.
Make sure the child restraint is properly belted and that the indicator is lit, or move the child restraint to the rear seat.
ProCarManuals.com

Modifications
If you are considering modifying your vehicle in any way to accommodate a disability, for example by altering or
adapting the driver's or front passenger's seat(s) and/or airbag systems, please contact Volvo at:
In the USA
Volvo Cars of North America
Customer Care Center
P.O. Box 914 Rockleigh, New Jersey 07647-0914
1-800-458-1552
In Canada
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
National Customer Service
175 Gordon Baker Road
North York, Ontario M2H 2N7
1-800-663-8255
pg. 20 Safety
Occupant Weight Sensor - disabling the passenger's side front airbag
WARNING!
No objects that add to the total weight on the seat should be placed on the front passenger's seat. If a child is seated
in the front passenger's seat with any additional weight, this extra weight could cause the OWS system to enable the
airbag, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child.
The seat belt should never be wrapped around an object on the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the
OWS system's function.
The front passenger's seat belt should never be used in a way that exerts more pressure on the passenger than
normal. This could increase the pressure exerted on the weight sensor by a child, and could result in the airbag being
enabled, which might cause it to deploy in the event of a collision, thereby injuring the child.
WARNING!
Keep the following points in mind with respect to the OWS system. Failure to follow these instructions could
adversely affect the system's function and result in serious injury to the occupant of the front passenger's seat:
The full weight of the front seat passenger should always be on the seat cushion. The passenger should never lift
him/herself off the seat cushion using the armrest in the door or the center console, by pressing the feet on the floor,
by sitting on the edge of the seat cushion, or by pressing against the backrest in a way that reduces pressure on the
seat cushion. This could cause OWS to disable the front, passenger's side airbag.
Do not place any type of object on the front passenger's seat in such a way that jamming, pressing, or squeezing
occurs between the object and the front seat, other than as a direct result of the correct use of the ALR/ELR seat belt
(see page 30
).
No objects should be placed under the front passenger's seat. This could interfere with the OWS system's function.
pg. 21 Safety
Side impact protection (SIPS) airbags
ProCarManuals.com

the function of the DMIC system.
Never try to open or repair any components of the DMIC system. This should be done only by a trained and
qualified Volvo service technician.
WARNING!
In order for the DMIC to provide its best protection, both front seat occupants should sit in an upright position with
the seat belt properly fastened; adults using the seat belt and children using the proper child restraint system. Only
adults should sit in the front seats. Children must never be allowed in the front passenger seat. See page 30
for
guidelines. Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury to the vehicle occupants in an accident.
pg. 23 Safety
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS)
Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) - front seats only
The WHIPS system consists of specially designed hinges and brackets on the front seat backrests designed to help
absorb some of the energy generated in a collision from the rear (when the vehicle is "rear-ended"). In the event of a
collision of this type, the hinges and brackets of the front seat backrests are designed to change position slightly to
allow the backrest/head restraint to help support the occupant's head before moving slightly rearward. This movement
helps absorb some of the forces that could result in whiplash.
WARNING!
The WHIPS system is designed to supplement the other safety systems in your car. For this system to function
properly, the three-point seat belt must be worn. Please be aware that no system can prevent all possible injuries that
may occur in an accident.
The WHIPS system is designed to function in certain collisions from the rear, depending on the crash severity,
angle and speed.
WARNING!
Occupants in the front seats must never sit out of position. The occupant's back must be as upright as comfort allows
and be against the seat back with the seat belt properly fastened.
WARNING!
ProCarManuals.com

pg. 28 Safety
Child safety
Children should be seated safely
Volvo recommends the proper use of restraint systems for all occupants including children. Remember that, regardless
of age and size, a child should always be properly restrained in a car.
Your car is also equipped with ISOFIX/ LATCH attachments, which make it more convenient to install child seats.
Some restraint systems for children are designed to be secured in the vehicle by lap belts or the lap portion of a lap-
shoulder belt. Such child restraint systems can help protect children in cars in the event of an accident only if they are
used properly. However, children could be endangered in a crash if the child restraints are not properly secured in the
vehicle. Failure to follow the installation instructions for your child restraint can result in your child striking the
vehicle's interior in a sudden stop.
Holding a child in your arms is NOT a suitable substitute for a child restraint system. In an accident, a child held in a
person's arms can be crushed between the vehicle's interior and an unrestrained person. The child could also be injured
by striking the interior, or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden maneuver or impact. The same can also
happen if the infant or child rides unrestrained on the seat. Other occupants should also be properly restrained to help
reduce the chance of injuring or increasing the injury of a child.
All states and provinces have legislation governing how and where children should be carried in a car. Find out the
regulations existing in your state or province. Recent accident statistics have shown that children are safer in rear
seating positions than front seating positions when properly restrained. A child restraint system can help protect a child
in a vehicle. Here's what to look for when selecting a child restraint system:
It should have a label certifying that it meets applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 213) - or
in Canada, CMVSS 213.
ProCarManuals.com